A massage therapy CEU is a continuing education unit. Continuing education classes are required by most states to renew your massage therapy license.

Be sure to check the licensing requirements for your state before you take any classes.

Massage therapy CEUs are additional classes designed for the massage therapist to learn more about massage therapy techniques such as chair massage, hydrotherapy, hot stone massage, deep tissue massage, myofascial release, etc, as well as the business aspects of running a massage therapy practice.

The information learned from these classes can greatly enhance your skills and business. They can cost anywhere from under $100 for one 6 hour class at your local massage school to thousands of dollars for a week of classes in a favored vacation spot or on a cruise ship!

Some CEU teachers travel around the country holding 2 to 3 day seminars or you can take a one day class at the massage school from which you graduated or from another school nearby. Just make sure that the meet the requirements of your state. Some do not.

Most massage schools offer CEUs periodically so check with your local schools often.

Usually the price of the books and materials you will need will be included in the price of the tuition. Always check with the school to make sure of this. If the brochure on an online ad does not mention whether you need to bring or purchase additional items, always ask prior to the start of the class.

Some states will let you order video or DVD courses and get CEU credits with at-home-study. This can be a great way to complete classes in the privacy of your own home at your own pace.

Unfortunately for me, Texas does not recognize any type of home study or online course as a way to get CEU credits to renew your massage license.

Another way to get your needed continuing education massage therapy units is to take a class online and then take an online test.

Still one more way to not have to go and sit in a class is to read a particular textbook or to read some of the wonderful magazine articles for CEU credit in Massage Therapy Journal. After reading the book or article, you go online, pay a testing fee and take the test.

Of course, I can and have taken classes in these ways for the benefit of my career as there are some interesting subjects readily available for me to learn about in my free time. I just cannot use them to renew my license.

Vacation CEUs are the in thing for massage therapists.

They can be very expensive so you will need to be on the lookout for a good deal if you choose to go this route.

If you love to travel and see some beautiful spots in the US and beyond, you can book a vacation/seminar week, perhaps in Colorado, Arizona, or Hawaii, just to name a few. You attend classes for a portion of the day and then have the rest of the day to see the sites.

If it is in your budget and you love to travel, consider going to a premier vacation spot for a week of partial day seminars to earn vacation CEU credits.

Before buying tickets for the seminar and before buying plane tickets if you are flying, check with your state licensing board to make sure that the seminar will count towards the required CEUs to renew your massage therapy license.

Also, before sending any money, find out how near to the date of the seminar you can cancel without a penalty if an emergency comes up. Will you be able to get a full refund? How much is the cancellation penalty? If you are flying, what is the airline's policy on refunds? If you are going through an online travel company, do they give refunds?

This can have great tax benefits for the self-employed massage therapist. Check with your accountant if you have tax deductible questions.

Consider this--will you be able to concentrate during the seminar while you are in the classroom? Will you be disciplined enough to go to the classes instead of sightseeing?

Decide ahead of time that the learning will come first, before you spend a lot of money on a vacation CEUs trip you might be tempted to skip classes because you are in such a beautiful location.

Cruise CEUs packages to earn your CEUs for the year are the way to go! If you have always wanted to take a cruise will all of the perks and romantic opportunities that a ship has to offer, now you can and earn your CEUs at the same time!

More than one company now offer cruise continuing education packages. Part of the day is spent in class and the rest of the day is free time to enjoy all that the ship has to offer and to go ashore at some great destinations and shop and sightsee.

This can have great tax benefits for the self-employed massage therapist. Check with your accountant if you have tax deductible questions.

Before buying tickets for the seminar and before buying plane tickets if you are flying to the port, check with your state licensing board to make sure that the seminar you are taking will count towards the required CEUs to renew your massage therapy license.

Also, before sending any money, find out how near to the date of the seminar you can cancel without a penalty if an emergency comes up. Will you be able to get a full refund? How much is the cancellation penalty? If you are flying, what is the airline's policy on refunds? If you are going through an online travel company, do they give refunds?

Enjoy your cruise while getting some great new massage techniques to better serve your clients. Bon voyage!

If your state okays it, (Texas does not) you can study a course massage therapy book, video, or DVD at home.

You can order home study classes online or from a catalog and receive them within a few days.

Just read or pop the DVD in your machine and leisurely learn in the comfort of your own home. Take as long as you need to read and study or to watch and watch again until you feel ready to take the test that sometimes comes with it (not all of these come with tests).

Have a favorite cup of cappuccino or study in your cozy, warm sweats and relax, not worrying about having to put makeup on and comb your hair just right. No fighting traffic.

Once your course is completed, fill out the form stating you have finished it and return it to the company who sent you the course. Then your certificate will be mailed to you for your CEU credit.

This is so totally convenient, especially if you have kids that you cannot leave alone without hiring a babysitter. I truly wish Texas would allow it so we could take courses online or watch videos or read books or magazines and get CEU credit.

Online massage classes can be the best way to begin or to continue your massage therapy education.

Just think, going to school in your pajamas and robe in winter or sitting out by the pool in the sun's warmth studying anatomy and physiology! I can just imagine how great it would be instead of sitting in an uncomfortable too cold classroom!

As long as you are committed to study and learn the material, you should be comfortable and not inconvenienced by traffic and time constraints.

This convenience cuts down on baby-sitting problems, traffic problems, and transportation problems while you are trying to better yourself and your circumstances and change your career. Sometimes it is the only way a parent can take additional classes.

Just make sure that it is okay for you to do so in your state. Texas does not recognize any type of computer or in-home study course. Check with your state health department before you invest your time and money to make sure.

If you work full-time, it is difficult to find time in your busy schedule for a four hour block of time for a class at school. With the ease and portability of massage classes online, you can fit them in at your convenience--early in the morning before anyone else is awake, late at night after the kids are asleep, during baby's naptime, etc.

One drawback to massage online school therapy is that when you practice what you have learned from the course, there is no instructor present to evaluate you.

There is no one with you to make sure you are performing the procedure correctly. There is no one there to make sure you understand what you are being taught and that you fully grasp the material. No one to encourage you to keep up the good work. And what about questions?

Some online classes are set up so that you can either call or e-mail someone with any questions or problems that come up. This can be a big help if you do not understand some of the reading material.

Some programs are set up with a student forum. You can log on to a forum where other students taking the same classes as you can discuss their thoughts and ideas. You can make long distance friendships and have some of your questions answered by other students.

With help for the practical portion, some schools are using webcams. Webcams can be found for between $20 and $30 and are easily installed on your computer.

You and the instructor can see each other for the demonstrations and practical portions of the course. You can see exactly how to do a stroke or how to stand while performing the stroke and the instructor can make sure that you are performing the stroke correctly. This is a great solution to some of the reservations some states have regarding this type of learning.

A massage therapy home study course is a great concept if you do not have transportation, if you are wheelchair bound, or if you live far from a massage school. Some students will actually move to a new city or state to take massage classes. For others, this is not financially feasible. Tuition and rent must be paid and some students may have to find a new job in the new city which can be difficult to do quickly.

When I was in school, one of my classmates moved to Texas from Alaska to go to school since there were no schools near where she lived. So she picked a school she thought would give her a great education. She and her husband rented a small apartment by the school and money was not an issue for them.

A home study course is great if transportation is a real problem. You don't have to depend on others to get you to school. You can fit in your class time around your schedule at home and at work.

Make sure through your state's health department that this is allowed and recognized by your state before investing time and money. You can check online for the web address. If you live in Texas, currently this is an unacceptable method of getting your education.